NBA Asia Challenge 2009 - NBA Legends vs PBA All-star

source: Nelson Beltran philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines - Dominique Wilkins and company came, saw and, as expected, conquered.

Wilkins, at 49, took Manila by storm, leading the NBA Generations team to a 109-86 whipping of the PBA All-Stars in the NBA Asia Challenge at the Araneta Coliseum last night.

With excess poundage and all, the former Atlanta Hawks superstar displayed his vintage form, coming through with a game-high 28 points that went on top of five rebounds, two steals and one assist in 20 minutes of play.

Robert Horry, Tim Hardaway and Vlade Divac showed flashes of brilliance as their contributions in the exhibition match which proved to be a resounding success despite the bad weather.

“We really wanted to focus on pleasing the fans. We really wanted to come out and perform for them,” said NBA Generations coach Rory White.

I had a fun time. I enjoyed it. It’s been more than 10 years since I played in a game with a real competitive atmosphere,” said Wilkins.

“It was a good experience though I didn’t play. I had as much fun as the players had. I enjoyed the atmosphere,” said Kareem Abdul Jabbar, who helped White call the shots for their team.

The PBA selection faded away but not after putting up a good stand in the first half, fighting the visitors through two deadlocks and 10 lead changes.

Curiously, most of the excitement from the home team came from its own legends in Allan Caidic, Alvin Patrimonio and Ronnie Magsanoc. Caidic paced the PBA selection with 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting in the opening quarter with Patrimonio sharing nine points and eight rebounds and Magsanoc adding eight points and three assists.

The PBA starting five of Caidic, Patrimonio, Wynne Arboleda, Arwind Santos and Asi Taulava held their own against Wilkins, Horry, Divac, Hardaway and Billy Thomas in a free-wheeling contest early on, giving the host team a 26-25 edge in the first quarter.

Patrimonio knocked down a trey in his first attempt then Caidic took over, rifling in five straight triples.

The Filipinos kept the game close through the second quarter before the Americans stepped up the tempo and slowly pulled away in the match serving as the Manila leg of their Asian tour which had its initial stop in Korea last week.

NBA Generations Line-up
Name - Team - Jersey # - Height(cm) - Weight(kg) - Position - College/Country
1. Derrick Dial - Tulsa 66ers 13 193 87 G Eastern Michigan
2. Vlade Divac - Sacramento Kings - 12 - 216 - 117.9 - C - Serbia & Montenegro
3. Chris Ellis - Sioux Falls Skyforce - 44 - 206 - 120 - F - Wake Forest
4. Tim Hardaway - Miami Heat - 10 - 183 - 88.5 - G - Texas El Paso
5. Robert Horry - Los Angeles Lakers 5 208 108.9 F Alabama
6. Marcus Hubbard - Rio Grande Valley Vipers - 34 - 206 - 104 - C - Angelo State
7. Russell Robinson - Reno Bighorns - 24 - 185 - 87 - G - Kansas
8. Lanny Smith - Idaho Stampede - 23 - 190 - 87 - G - Houston
9. Billy Thomas - Colorado 14ers - 11 - 196 - 97.5 - G - Kansas
10. Dominique Wilkins - Atlanta Hawks - 21 - 203 - 102 - F - Georgia

Head Coach: Rory White - Dakota Wizards
Assistant Coach: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - Los Angeles Lakers
Athletic Trainer: Kevin Taylor - Idaho Stampede

PBA All-Stars Line-up
Name - Team - Height - Weight - Position
1. Asi Taulava - Coca-Cola - 6’-9” - 230 lbs - Center
2. Wynne Arboleda - Burger King - 5’-11” - 185 lbs - Guard
3. Allan Caidic - Barangay Ginebra Kings - 6’-2” - 190 lbs - Forward
4. Kenneth Duremdes - Coca-Cola Tigers - 6’-2” - 190 lbs - Forward
5. Dondon Hontiveros - San Miguel Beermen - 6’-1” - 180 lbs - Guard
6. Ronnie Magsanoc - Purefoods TJ Giants - 5’-9” - 180 lbs - Guard
7. Willie Miller - Alaska Aces - 5’-10” - 180 lbs - Guard
8. Benjie Paras - 6’-5” - 220 lbs - Center
9. Marc Pingris - Purefoods TJ Giants - 6’-4” - 210 lbs - Forward
10. Alvin Patrimonio - Purefoods TJ Giants - 6’-3” - 210 lbs - Forward
11. Jay-R Reyes - Rain or Shine Elasto Painters - 6’-7” - 215 lbs - Center
12. Arwind Santos - San Miguel Beermen - 6’-4” - 180 lbs - Forward
13. Joachim Thoss - Alaska Aces - 6’-7” - 230 lbs - Center
14. Enrico Villanueva - Barangay Ginebra Kings - 6’-5” - 225 lbs - Center
15. Joseph Yeo - Sta. Lucia Realtors - 5’-10” - 175 lbs - Guard
Head Coach: Yeng Guiao (Burger King Whopper)
source: PBA.ph


FINAL SCORE
NBA Legends (109) vs. PBA (86)

source: team pilipinas info

ABL (Asean Basketball League) formal launching impressive

Beth Celis
Philippine Daily Inquirer


IMPRESSIVE! Owners of the newly formed Asean Basketball League personally made an appearance during its formal launching last September l at the Renaissance Hotel in Makati.


Doubly impressive was the fact that about half of the team owners flew to Manila in their own private jets like Brunei’s Nadzaty Azma Azeez, who’s in the electronics and electrical business and is into basketball for the first time.


Though she most likely is Western-educated, since she speaks good English, Nadzaty still wears the traditional Muslim headgear.


Then there’s Air Asia’s Tony Fernandes of Malaysia, who came for the event in a huge, commercial airbus with only a handful of passengers aboard. Tony and his entourage arrived in Manila Tuesday morning and left for Malaysia in the afternoon of the same day.


It was Tony, a mutual friend of businessmen Mikee Romero and Tonyboy Cojuangco, who brought the two together to form a partnership and an ABL team they have dubbed as The Philippine Patriots.


“They’re so much fun to be with,” said Tonyboy, a pioneer member of the newest billionaire sporting club.


“We only met today and already we’re very comfortable with each other. It’s a fun group.”


Tonyboy owns ABC-5 which used to be the television coverer of the PBA before Solar Sports took over. He said members of the ABL look at the league not only as a sporting activity but also as a venue for business opportunities on the Southeast Asian level.


Tonyboy said ABC-5 would be covering the ABL games for television while his partner Mikee will provide the expertise in forming and running the team.


For the September l launch, the five other teams had brought in their own television crew and print media entourage.


“I’m sure the league will be a success, considering that owners, company CEOs and high-ranking executives are behind the organization,’ said Tonyboy brimming with enthusiasm. With him at the Chinese dinner hosted by Mikee for the ABL delegation was ABC-5’s marketing head Bobby Barreiro.


Word had it that Mikee’s newest business partner in port operations, Manny V. Pangilinan, may also field a team in the future. Each country is allowed to field two teams under the ABL format.MVP was one of the guests at the dinner


Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer